Review Detail

Reader reviewed by Leon Monaco

The Messenger
Leon Monaco

The thrilling, epic novel by Markus Zusak, The Messenger demonstrates how an ordinary guy can turn his life around that he can live beyond what [he is] capable of. Ed Kennedy starts out to be an average, half-hearted 19 year old cab driver with a low self-esteem and nothing going for him in his life. All of these traits start to change when Ed starts receiving messages in the mail printed onto playing cards. Through his journey of delivering these messages, he confronts fear, love, friendships and personal dilemmas, which are all solved, changing parts of Ed slowly. By the end of the text, Ed has transformed into a courageous and loving human being, which has set him up for a new life. So how did the messages turn Ed into a better person?

While Ed delivered his messages, he made friends with some of the people he delivered to. The first fiend he made was the priest, Father Thomas OReilly. Eds message for the priest was for him to be reunited with his brother. In the meantime, Ed becomes good friends with Father OReilly, which leads him into going to church and increasing his faith.
The next person Ed befriended was Angie Carusso, mother of three children and who is always giving. As a generous, but small gesture she buys an ice-cream for her children every week like clockwork. To do something for someone who is always giving, Ed buys an ice-cream for her. You never get an ice-cream for yourself&you deserve one to Ed. Later in the text, Angie meets up with Ed and hands him an ice-cream, just a way to say thankyou.
Ed made friends with members of the Tatupu family, who from the very beginning idolised him. Ed jokes and laughs with them at dinner and gives the children piggyback rides. When Ed put the lights up at their house he brought a poor husband and wife together and made them forget about their poor miserable lives just for a second. This proved to Ed that beauty wasnt in a persons appearance, but instead, on the inside. Sometimes, people are beautiful¬ in looks¬ in what they say&just in what they are Ed. This situation made Eds self-esteem lift; thinking that anyone and everyone is beautiful, including himself.
The owner of the old fashioned cinema, Bernie Price became friends with Ed once Ed came to his cinema with Audrey. This reminded Bernie of himself years ago. While watching the movie with Audrey, Ed had a bit of trouble with his messenger, moving around the building and changing the movie reel to the one showing Eds past accomplishments with his messages. What was shown demonstrated how Ed changed other peoples lives. The final words on the film were: Time to move on hinting to Ed that it in now his turn to change. This task, however, cannot be done with only gaining a few friends. He would need something more.

Through Eds journey to deliver his messages, he faced fearful times where he needed courage and strength to go on. The first challenge Ed faced was at 45 Edgar St, the rape household. Before ha gained the courage to stop the man from hurting his family, Ed would continuously back away from the challenge night after night, hoping that it would eventually blow over. The thing that persuaded Ed to go through with it was the gun left by his messenger, giving him the confidence to overpower the heavily built rapist to complete his message. Ed didnt kill the man, thinking it was unethical and wrong. This shows how Ed is using new and better judgement.
The second fearful obstacle Ed confronted was Gavin Rose. Beating him up took a great deal of courage which Ed had gained from the Edgar St message. This scenario increased Eds courage as well as his patience, mainly from waiting for Gavin to fight with brother. I feel like Im outside myself Ed, demonstrates that he is using his new courage and strength traits in practice, feeling new and uncomfortable.
Another scary situation that Ed faced was when he dealt with his mother on her porch. Waiting for her was daunting and the conversation that followed took a lot of courage from both parties. This was the first time that Ed had thought that the message was directed at him. I sit here, in the prime of my youth, completely and utterly alone, its me Ed. To Ed this was his darkest moment, worse than Edgar St and the Rose brothers. After these three fearful messages, Ed gains courage, confidence, judgement, strength and patience, all new traits to help him in being a better, stronger person.

Throughout the text, Ed has made friends and fought battles, but there were also times when he would feel love and compassion for the people in his messages. Milla Johnson, Eds first ever message involved love whenever Ed would visit as Jimmy. I like being Jimmy Ed, this shows that Ed likes to be Jimmy so he can be loved back by Milla, If Milla were a younger woman, I believe that Ed would fall for her much more than he does currently in the text. I melt and look her in her old but lovely eyes Ed. This shows how affectionate Ed and Milla are together, loving each other.
Sophie changes Ed drastically. At first, Ed puts himself down constantly because of his poor fitness level. Sophie changes this by making Ed see the beauty and positives in other people rather than see the negatives in himself, to look at the glass half full. Shes beautiful and Im ashamed&feelings of love and lust fight each other inside me Ed. Sophie to Ed is the girl he can never have. He thinks she is gorgeous, but she is only 15 and Ed is 19, it just goes to teach Ed that he cannot have everything also.
As harsh as it was, the conversation between Ed and his mother on her porch would fall into this love category, mainly because of his mother saying that it takes a lot of love to hate [him] like this Bev. In my opinion, when the book has finished, I believe that Bev Kennedy would love his son much more after all of these changes to Eds life have been completed.

So far, we have witnessed new friendships spawning faith and inner beauty, dreaded scenarios creating courage, confidence, judgement, patience and strength, and the unforgettable love tales forcing Ed to have a positive view on life. All of these new characteristics have pushed Ed to become a better person, but he would still need to solve the close friend issues that were stated on the Ace of Hearts. Ritchie, Marv and Audrey all contributed in helping Ed produce his problem solving and observation skills to what is close to him. Ritchie is a lazy and confused man that shows Ed how much worse his life could have been if he didnt care or pursue anything.
Ed demonstrates his new brewed courage to Marv when he confronted Suzanne Boyds father with confidence. Helping out Marv in my opinion was the most meaningful message in the whole novel, because it showed Eds courage, confidence, love and the ability to bring a mother and father together with their child.
Audreys message was to show her how she should stop sleeping around and seek true love. That love lies with Ed, who has loved Audrey for quite some time, but not daring to unveil it. No one will ever love her as much as I do Ed. The night they dance, that love and compassion Ed had for Audrey is shown. There is no doubt that the confidence and affection used that night were influenced by Milla and Sophie from earlier in the novel. After that, Audrey changes her feelings towards Ed and opens her heart to him, resulting in Audrey moving in with Ed permanently at the end of the text.

To sum up this discussion, I believe its fair to say that Ed Kennedy by the end of the novel became a stronger and more loving, courageous and positive human being with now no major flaws or negative characteristics. With the help of these messages, Ed Kennedy will truly live beyond what [he is] capable of.